Mousavi Calls For More Street Protests In Iran

The Los Angeles Times reports that "Iran's leading opposition figure called on his supporters Monday to head into the streets daily during a religious festival next week, potentially escalating tensions at a time when his election rival, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is to be sworn in for a second term... Mousavi said in comments to educators published on his website, Ghalamnews.ir, that the religious festivities, which should take place over several days during the middle of next week, were an opportunity to extend the political movement outside the capital. 'We must express awareness among the people,' he said. 'We must raise slogans that can include all Iranians both inside and outside the country. A vast . . . social movement has taken shape in the country and it has to make best use of these occasions and unveil its initiatives,' Mousavi said. 'We can organize programs each day to follow up on our objectives.' It was the first time Mousavi had explicitly called on his supporters to take to the streets since a series of massive protest marches last month. Dozens of Iranians have been killed and hundreds arrested in clashes between protesters and security forces. Iran's political powers seem at a loss as to what to do, and some political conservatives are incensed over Ahmadinejad's divisive political actions as well as the widespread crackdown. The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, forced Ahmadinejad to back down on his choice of a first vice president. Many conservatives were highly uncomfortable with the selection of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, who is related to Ahmadinejad by marriage. Some analysts said it was because of friendly comments Mashaei made about the Israeli people. But others said he is believed to be a member of a secretive messianic sect with a worldview so extreme that it was banned by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic."
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